'Dark Annie' film and image gallery launched!
By
SHOWstudio,
16:00 Thu 22 Oct 2009
Following the live broadcast of our Clown shoot with Nick Knight, stylist Panos Yiapanis and Estonian übermodel Carmen Kass back in June, we can now reveal not only the final editorial images, but also Dark Annie, an exclusive fashion film created during the two-day editorial shoot. The title - taken from Jack The Ripper's third victim - sets the tone for this haunting and foreboding short, in which cloudy shadows and barely-glipsed reflections at the periphery of one's vision are not as benign as we may wish. The surreal and dreamlike vision of the final AnOther Magazine images are also offered in an online gallery, with a full-sized option allowing viewers to roam around these unique, painterly representations of Autumn/Winter 2009 fashion.
Exclusive Carmen Kass/Clown image for Newsletter subscribers!
By
SHOWstudio,
17:55 Wed 10 Jun 2009
Tomorrow our faithful Newsletter subscribers will receive something extra in their inbox - a link to an exclusive preview of one of Nick Knight's editorial images of Carmen Kass from this week's Clown shoot. Captured during the two-day editorial shoot for AnOther Magazine's Autumn/Winter 2009 issue, our Newsletter subscribers will have access to an exclusive image of Carmen's first outfit from the shoot styled by Panos Yiapanis. The link will be sent to subscribers tomorrow afternoon, along with our regular Newsletter containing the most up-to-the-minute SHOWstudio project information, so to access the preview and stay on top of all our latest news, sign up here!
The Final Shots
After our twelve hours of shooting (on top of yesterday's nine hour session) Nick and Panos now have everything they need for their upcoming editorial story destined for the Autumn issue of AnOther Magazine. After shooting Carmen in a plethora of Panos Yiapanis' clown-inspired looks, for most of the day in the studio space of our new Bruton Place HQ, the shoot came to a close outside in our surrounding Mayfair streets just moments ago. Here, a snapshot from the day's penultimate shot: a gracefully elegant Carmen Kass, sporting a sparkling Gucci ensemble.
Out on the Street
For tonight's next look, Nick's wanted to photograph Carmen in the street in some puddles - as it hasn't rained for the past week, his assistants have had to fake it with buckets of water. Here's a scene you don't see every night on your way home: Carmen Kass dressed in Givenchy and blue crystal shoes, face painted ghostly white, jumping around in puddles, pulling crazy clown poses, in front of photographer Nick Knight and a 11-strong team.
Neon Lips!
With daylight fading fast in our Bruton Place studio space, what could be a better accessory than a neon 'lip' sign for our model Carmen Kass? Another example of Panos and his team's ingenious handiwork, the specially-devised red glowing lips are currently being used to create fantastical trompe l'oeil effects in front of Nick's lens. Dressed in head-to-toe Miu Miu (two flesh-toned, jewel encrusted dresses, stockings and heels) and a tutu customised by Panos' team, this is our sixth look today. And the team are no way near close to completion - with five (or even six!) looks left to shot and talk of venturing outside, I can safely say that we will be live streaming, blogging and Twittering late into the night.
The raw materials
By
Alex Fury,
17:30 Mon 08 Jun 2009
Here is one of the leitmotifs of the photographer's trade: the polaroid wall, in this case covered in glossy eight-by-ten images of Carmen Kass in this morning's outlandish array of Dolce and Gabbana and Prada pieces mixed in with Panos' inimitable array of customised garments. Nick Knight's images are shaping up to blur the line between figurative and abstract - quite literally in many cases, as the sections of the photographs appears fuzzed and clouded, while other aspects register crystal-clear. The mirror-embroidery detail on one of those Dolce and Gabbana gowns, for example, runs the gamut between abstract polkadot to images so finely-focussed you can see each stitch. Carmen herself, of course, has been somewhat abstracted already - to the right of this image, you can see her behind Panos, complete (and completely unrecognisable) with Hannah Murray's circus whiteface and the chicest of frightwigs by Sam McKnight.
Seconds please!
By
Alex Fury,
16:21 Mon 08 Jun 2009
Carmen Kass takes to the stage in Panos Yiapanis' second look of the day: a devoré velvet tunic, cardigan, bloomers and those love-or-hate thigh-high tan waders from the A/W 2009 Prada collection. This high-fashion ensemble is however subverted into something far more unsettling, and thoroughly in keeping with our Clown theme, with the addition of items specially crafted to Panos' exacting specifications. In this instance, hand-beaded leggings and bra-like harness and a sinister 'Hannibal the Cannibal'-style face fetter. And check out Sam McKnight's truly terrifying hairdo!
Let Day Two Begin!
The team are back at our Bruton Place studio ready for another day of shooting for Nick and Panos' clown-themed story for the upcoming issue of AnOther Magazine. Model Carmen Kass already being prepped in hair and make-up, Panos and his team are busy working on items for today's looks, there's a constant flurry of garment bags being delivered via courier and Nick's just arrived so we thought we'd turn the LIVE STREAM on early. Today is a SHOWstudio first: this is Nick's inaugural shoot in our upstairs studio space, and as it's a weekday, we've got a full-house with the rest of the team downstairs attempting to go about their day-to-day duties. As well as a constant live stream trained on the heart of the action, Alex Fury and I will be multi-tasking to the best of abilities, providing regular blogs and regular Twitter updates throughout.
The end is nigh!
By
Alex Fury,
22:21 Sun 07 Jun 2009
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We've just completed our final shot of the day on the cold dark streets of Bruton Place - but Carmen seems to have taken Nick's instructions of 'More demonic!' and 'A bit more mad in the face!' to heart - or rather, let them go to her head! That is Carmen you can hear laughing hysterically at the end of this short clip - apologies for the somewhat atmospheric lighting, but I'm sure you'll agree, in this get-up she isn't someone you'd want to meet down a dark alleyway! Our live stream has finished for the evening, but we will be broadcasting all the shoot action live from 12:00 Noon GMT tomorrow. Sleep tight!
She's out!
By
Alex Fury,
22:08 Sun 07 Jun 2009
Silent film legend Lon Chaney Sr. once stated 'There is nothing funny about a clown in the moonlight'. We're testing this theory to the max this evening, as Carmen Kass takes to the street in Panos Yiapanis' uncompromising vision of a maniacal masquerade clown. Rest assured, this is no laughing matter! Unfortunately we are unable to take our live stream out onto the fair streets of Mayfair to chart Carmen's progression, but I will be tweeting from the roadside as Nick Knight pushes Carmen to the very brink!
What a gem - look two!
By
Alex Fury,
18:45 Sun 07 Jun 2009
With Carmen Kass' face contorted by transparent plastic tape to resemble a Royston Vasey resident and Sam McKnight's teased beehive towering hevenwards, we're off on outfit number two. This time. Kass is an explosion of riotous colour, clad in a draped tunic-dress and bejewelled leggings by Louis Vuitton, velvet shorts by Prada and a beaded top by Gucci. Panos again fashions the trademark final touches himself - in this instance, a bead-encrusted harness and sparkling shoes fit for a Maharaja.
No Clowning around!
By
Alex Fury,
18:10 Sun 07 Jun 2009
With our first outfit in the bag - and daylight fast diminishing - Panos, Hannah, Marian and Sam are putting the final touches to Carmen Kass' second look of our two-day Clown shoot. Despite our project title, Nick Knight's glossy 8x10 polaroids above testify that the shoot's aesthetic is veering far, far away from the accepted and understood realms of circus ring and fairground performance - not that we really expected light and carefree joviality, given Panos' visual references and choice of designer togs. Accordingly, the final looks have more in common with mournful French Pierrots, Stephen King's 'It' and the nightmarish Siats of Ute tribe mythology than the child-pleasing ilk of Bozo, Coco or even Krusty. And with night closing in, it can only get creepier.
First look at our first look!
By
Alex Fury,
16:05 Sun 07 Jun 2009
'Haute Couture Harlequin from Hell' were the first words that leapt to my mind upon seeing the countenance of Carmen Kass in Panos Yiapanis' first hardcore concoction for our Clown shoot. Other than a few additions from Panos' dedicated army of crafty helpers, she's in head-to-toe A/W 2009 Alexander McQueen, with a sacque-back opera coat, fierce-shouldered jumpsuit and frilled organza blouse all smothered in eye-popping monochroime houndstooth. Ditto the lacquer-soled seven-inch platform heels, which Panos has playfully adorned with blood-red pom-poms. Elsewhere, Panos' handiwork is evident in some serious heavy metal leather leggings (studded with a good kilo of hardware) and a houndstooth muzzle strapping Kass' features like Leatherface. Ironically, the strapping, wrapping and cinching of this unique getup is not dissimilar to the archly preened and poised straight-lacing of postwar couture - remember the handspan waspies of Dior's New Look or those painfully taut ribbons at the back of Mainbocher's iconic corset? Carmen is naturally forced into unnatural modes of modelling, and thus her poses have all the glamour of old-school Irving Penn. That's our first look and initial opinions, at least - the interesting thing will be to see how that translates to Nick Knight's final images in AnOther Magazine this Autumn.
The SHOWstudio Sweatshop!
By
Alex Fury,
15:24 Sun 07 Jun 2009
It's taken a turn for the Dickensian in our basement as Panos Yiapanis and his willing army of helpers set to work with needles, thread, glue-guns and a hardware shop of metal in the creation of magical mystery garments for for Carmen Kass' Clown couture looks. Here are a few snaps taken of Panos' crew in action - the fruits of their considerable labours should be evident very soon as we gear up to finalise our first look!
Things to make and do
By
Alex Fury,
14:34 Sun 07 Jun 2009
Besides racks crammed with everything from Parisian big-wigs Balenciaga and Balmain to London mavericks Louise Goldin and Christopher Kane, Panos and a vertiable army of artisans have set to work crafting unique accessories to help create Carmen's 'Clown' persona for this shoot. Festooned with studs, crystals, spears and spikes to give the outfits a savage twist. Here, we focus on just a few of Panos' creations: heels smothered in Swarovski prickles, bead-encrusted bandages and tights and an eerie glitter-latex mask with sexualised crystal pout. Just how these arcane accoutrements will be utilised in the final looks is, at the moment, all in Panos' mind - but we'll all be finding out pretty soon!
Day One commences!
By
Alex Fury,
12:58 Sun 07 Jun 2009
Following a morning (and a day!) of heavy preparation in SHOWstudio's Bruton Place studio space, our first in-house live shoot with Carmen Kass is now broadcasting! Nick Knight is shooting Kass in a somewhat unusual guise - as the project title betrays, today's shoot for AnOther Magazine is inspired by clowns, and accordingly Kass is caked in pancake by Hannah Murray, with locks teased by Sam McKnight and dressed to character by stylist Panos Yiapanis. But rather than any direct or recognisable reference to this circus tradition, Yiapanis is pushing this shoot into the territory of the bizarre and grotesque, Kass' features contorted with sutures of string and fabric, and her body swathed in the most extreme and uncompromising fashions from the Autumn/Winter runways, along with some special creations fashioned by Yiapanis himself to highlight the editorial's aesthetic theme. Up-to-the-minute information will be coming courtesy of our (frankly rather cultish) Twitter feed and I will be blogging live with the trusty SHOWstudio picture phone to capture all the action as it develops.
LIVE two day shoot with Carmen Kass!
By
SHOWstudio,
15:00 Sat 06 Jun 2009
Our in-house studio space at Bruton Place is being prepped at this very moment for tomorrow's LIVE shoot for AnOther Magazine with none other than the legendary Carmen Kass! From 13:00 GMT tomorrow, SHOWstudio will stream all the action from the set with Kass, Nick Knight and Panos Yiapanis collaborating on this latest editorial for AnOther over two days. This shoot, however, is slightly different than most, promising to show a side of Carmen that has never been seen before. At the hands of Panos, and with the help of greasepaint, wigs, and fashions from the likes of Alexander McQueen, Rodarte, Christopher Kane and Nina Ricci, Kass will transform into a clown - but you can wipe any preconceptions of mournful monochrome Pierrots, Commedia dell'Arte Harlequins or even good old-fashion circus pratfalls from your mind. For this shoot, clowning around takes a decidedly dark, macabre and dare we say downright evil twist. More live and direct from the shoot tomorrow...
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